Hyperscalers pay $50,000 to $600,000 per acre for the right site.
AI and cloud growth has turned datacenter land into one of the most valuable real estate categories in America. If your parcel sits near a substation, fiber backbone, and a top-tier market, scouts will compete for it.
Datacenter valuations swing 30× across nearby parcels based on utility-confirmed available capacity, dark fiber routing, and zoning. Our score is a directional screen — sites scoring ≥75 are worth a paid scout meeting (Lumen/Zayo fiber walkthrough, utility load study). Sub-75 scores rarely justify the diligence.
How it works
- 1Site identification
Site selectors look for 50-500+ contiguous acres within a few miles of a 100+ MW substation and dark fiber, in datacenter-friendly counties.
- 2Pre-application
Confirm zoning, water access, environmental constraints. Many counties are now creating fast-track approvals for DC investment.
- 3Term sheet
Sale or ground lease term sheets emerge after initial diligence — usually 90-180 days from first contact.
- 4Close
Most hyperscalers prefer outright purchase. Ground leases (50-99 years) are also common, particularly in tight-supply markets.
Deal structures
Most common for hyperscalers. Sale prices: $5k-$25k (Tier 2), $50k-$200k (Tier 1), $150k-$600k+ (Loudoun/Northern Virginia).
50-99 year ground leases preserve underlying ownership while generating large annual rents.
Some landowners partner with developers and take an ongoing share of campus economics. Niche but lucrative.
Frequently asked
Power (proximity to a high-capacity substation), fiber (within 2 miles of a backbone), parcel size (50+ acres), zoning (industrial or rezonable), and a datacenter-friendly tax environment.
Northern Virginia (Loudoun) dominates. Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Columbus OH, Salt Lake City, and Hillsboro OR are also top-tier. Tier 2 markets are growing fast.
Site selectors actively scout. Listing your land on landholder.com puts it in front of multiple scouts at once.
Free, instant assessment — and matched providers in your state.